We live in a co-operative housing unit. Like all co-ops, it's a blend between ownership and rental. Unlike rentals, every household (or member) has equal... Read more

When did you move into this home? About four months ago.

Let's start with the neighborhood. What's it like where you live? We live in the country halfway between two small towns. There are lots of farms in our area and most of the neighbors are older. Both the towns near us are typical small towns with some basic stores and parks. The nearest "big" town is about a 30 minute drive.

We love being able to see the stars at night because they aren't drowned out by city lights.

What makes your home offbeat? My husband and I moved into our first home in October 2012. Almost all our furniture and housewares were either wedding presents, bought with wedding money, or we already owned. The only things we bought specifically for the house were the zebra dining chairs, my metallic silver night stand, and a dresser for our living room.

The dresser I made to look vintage, topped with some of David's antique bottles, birch bark and his soapstone chess set.

The lamp and side table were brought from my room at my parent's home, and the basket is vintage

All of our accessories and decor items are pieces that are special to us. My husband has a lot of antiques that belonged to his late grandfather and are now proudly displayed in the bar. All our art is homemade (including the piece on our living room book case! My cousin made it as a wedding gift.), so it's very personal and unique.

Antiques on display above the bar.

We feel like our home has a "found object" look that some people strive for. Unlike most, we haven't sought out antiques or unique pieces…they came to us through loved ones or special times spent together.

My husband works full time and I'm currently not working, so I'm a housewife. I love to keep my house looking good!

What's your favorite feature of your home? The big sign we have hanging in the dining room. It was salvaged from a dump when the tea room closed. My husband gave it to me as a Christmas present when we were dating because It was a special place to me as a kid.

The master bedroom.

What's the most challenging about this space? How do you deal with the challenge? Our house wasn't maintained very well by the people who lived there before us. A lot of things were done wrong (nothing major, just cosmetic things) that we never noticed until we had been living there for a bit. There's so much we want to fix or repair but can't because it costs too much and we are down to one income now.

Moving day.

Even though we get frustrated with the flaws we are so blessed to be homeowners at young ages. We currently make lists for all the problems we need to address and try to fix little ones in small batches so it's more affordable.

The back view of the house.

What's your grandest plan for the space? It's hard to pick what I'm most excited about! We have a good-sized bedroom in the basement but we don't need it so we are going to knock down the walls to give more space. We are also going to paint the dining room chocolate-brown even though our main floor is open concept. I also can't wait to get outside and start landscaping! My husband has a large collection of saplings he is eager to plant.

Show me the decor porn!

Join our community!

Reporter Name
*Reporter Email
*Original textEnter the original text here.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment

Participate in this conversation via emailGet only replies to your comment, the best of the rest, as well as a daily recap of all comments on this post. No more than a few emails daily, which you can reply to/unsubscribe from directly from your inbox.

No-drama comment policy

Part of what makes the Offbeat Empire different is our commitment to civil, constructive commenting. Make sure you're familiar with our no-drama comment policy.

About

Hey, welcome to Offbeat Home & Life, the sister site of Offbeat Bride. We're all about supporting you as you create a space in this world where you feel comfortable. Got a story to share? Email us!